[Review] ESCAPE – BANG CHAN & HYUNJIN (Stray Kids)

It has been over a year since Stray Kids released their single album, Mixtape: dominATE. Despite being a big fan of Stray Kids (I acknowledge I give them a lot more attention than any other group), I have yet to review any tracks from their Mixtape: dominATE. As the one-year anniversary has just passed, now would be a timely moment to review the tracks on it. The lead single is the Korean version of their 2024 Japanese single, GIANT (which I have yet to review but will do later). Alongside GIANT are unit tracks – this post focuses on BANG CHAN and HYUNJIN’s ESCAPE. Links to the reviews of the other unit tracks (as they are released) are below the music video.

Expectations are high for the return of the BANG CHAN and HYUNJIN unit – the pair behind Red Lights (iykyk). Unlike the sensual R&B route they took last time, ESCAPE takes a more bombastic approach, blending rock influences with trap elements to create this powerfully tense unit track. I particularly liked the build-up in the pre-choruses and the satisfying drop of rock elements in the chorus. The oomph that the latter ultimately gives ESCAPE instantly made it stand out to me upon release over a year ago. As for the pair themselves, I was impressed by their vocals, especially during their respective verses. HYUNJIN’s vocal tone in ESCAPE brought an interesting crisp colour to the song, while BANG CHAN’s higher pitch added a delicateness and an emotional tinge to the song. BANG CHAN’s high note and ad-libs at the end were equally impressive, with the pair closing out the song in an epic fashion. I really liked this unit track then and still like it now.

I have a theory about what is happening in the music video, but I am not entirely sure if it is right. Essentially, it looks like BANG CHAN and HYUNJIN are werewolves that were chained up at a certain point, but had broken free. And while they do enjoy hanging around each other, the pair ends up making a break together for the outside world. But some dark force is after them. They become cornered and are forced to go their separate ways to evade capture. Towards the end, they reunite and pair up once again to take on this dark force. I did like the dark tones of the music video, but I also wished we had found out what this dark force was.

The pair performed ESCAPE on their Dominate World Tour, and the performance was definitely worth watching. I really liked how they and the dancers heightened the bombastic feel of ESCAPE, revealing an intense, charged side of themselves. I also liked the artistry of the performance, such as pair singing towards the camera amongst the cloaked dancers standing still and the circle formations by the dancers lying down/rolling around BANG CHAN and HYUNJIN in the final chorus. The latter made for an epic overhead camera shot.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10